World War II Honoree

Ellis R. Weicht

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Clearville, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY F, 142ND INFANTRY, 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: SAINT HIPPOLYTE, FRANCE ON DECEMBER 3, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT BEDFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, GO NUMBER 58. ON JULY 19, 1945 AWARDED CITATION FOR COMMANDING AN ASSAULT SQUAD IN AN ATTACK BY COMPANY F AGAINST THE STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ALSATIAN TOWN OF SAINT HIPPOLYTE ON DECEMBER 3, 1944. HE AGGRESSIVELY LED HIS MEN DOWN A WINDING STREET, CLEARED THE HOUSES OF OPPOSITION AS HE ADVANCED. UPON ROUNDING A BEND, THE GROUP WAS SUDDENLY BROUGHT UNDER THE FIRE OF 2 MACHINE GUNS EMPLACED IN THE DOOR AND WINDOW OF A HOUSE 100 YARDS DISTANT. WHILE HIS SQUAD MEMBERS TOOK COVER, HE MOVED RAPIDLY FORWARD TO A HIGH ROCK WALL AND, FEARLESSLY EXPOSING HIMSELF TO THE ENEMY ACTION, FIRED 2 CLIPS OF AMMUNITION FROM HIS RIFLE. HIS FIRE PROVED INEFFECTIVE, HE ENTERED A HOUSE OPPOSITE THE ENEMY GUN POSITION AND FIRED FROM A WINDOW, KILLED THE 2 HOSTILE GUNNERS. CONTINUING THE ATTACK, THE ADVANCE WAS AGAIN HALTED WHEN TWO 20-MM GUNS OPENED FIRE ON THE COMPANY. AN ARTILLERY OBSERVER ORDERED FRIENDLY TROOPS TO EVACUATE THE AREA AND THEN DIRECTED ARTILLERY FIRE UPON THE GUN POSITIONS. HE REMAINED IN THE SHELLED AREA AND CONTINUED TO FIRE ON THE HOSTILE WEAPONS. WHEN THE BARRAGE LIFTED AND THE ENEMY SOLDIERS ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THEIR GUN, HE KILLED 2 CREW MEMBERS AND FORCED THE OTHERS TO FLEE. HE CONTINUED TO LEAD HIS SQUAD FORWARD UNTIL HE SPOTTED A ROAD BLOCK APPROXIMATE 125 YARDS AWAY. MOVING TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF A NEARBY HOUSE AND FIRED FROM A WINDOW, HE KILLED 3 AND WOUNDED SEVERAL OF THE ENEMY. INSTANTLY BECOMING A TARGET FOR HEAVY AND DIRECT FIRE, HE DISREGARDED PERSONAL SAFETY TO CONTINUE HIS FIRE, WITH UNUSUAL EFFECTIVENESS, UNTIL HE WAS KILLED BY A DIRECT HIT FROM AN ANTI-TANK GUN.